Bernice POV I am enjoying acting like an Omega. I never allowed myself to think of what had been taken from me when I was given the medication at twelve years old and forced to act like an Alpha. All of the things I’d enjoyed when I was a child, before the responsibility was forced upon me, I’d thought were lost forever. Now I am able to enjoy them again, and I am determined to do so with my last days alive. Landry insists on continuing to search for a cure, but I know it is useless. I was on that poison medication for most of my life, the damage it did is permanent. I know that. But I can make my last days good, even if Landry is acting strange. He takes me out frequently. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was taking me on dates. They certainly seem like dates. One day, he cooked me a full five-course dinner, with a rich, chocolate tart for dessert. Another, he took me on a long walk around the palace grounds, just the two of us. If
Bernice POV I am shocked beyond words at Jessie’s question. Dates? Proposing? Landry? That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard and I wonder how to say so without hurting my friend’s feelings. “What do you mean?” Jessie asks, and I swallow hard. Part of me points out that that’s a reasonable question – wasn’t I just saying that Landry seemed to be taking me on dates? The rest of me reminds myself that love isn’t real and what Landry and I are doing is simply a transaction, nothing more. I straighten my shoulders and take a deep breath. “Landry and I…we are sexual partners only. We fulfill each other’s needs. There are no feelings, and feelings have no place in a relationship, anyway.” I learned that first hand. I was a bastard child, the child of my father, the Alpha of Sunset Pack, and a lowly Omega with nothing to her name, no status, and no say in anything. My father helped her with her heat and the result was me. When I was
Landry POV Landry can’t keep up with Bernice’s mood changes. After their practice fight, where she kept up with him admirably well despite her illness and Omega body, and the amazing sex afterwards, which was surprisingly tender, she’d turned frosty. Every attempt to speak with her has been turned down. She’d spoken to him only in short little snippets and he doesn’t know what he did wrong. “This ends now,” he thinks. He knocks heavily on her door, loud, unmistakable so she can’t say she didn’t hear it. As expected, she doesn’t answer it, so he just opens it and walks in. She’ll be angry, but he doesn’t care. “What are you doing here?” Bernice’s voice is angry. Her arms are crossed and she is glaring at him. He glares at her back.“I want to know why you are mad at me. What did I do?” He makes sure he doesn’t sound whiny. He is the Alpha King, damnit, he does not show weakness, not even to Bernice. “I demand an explanation!”“I’m not mad.” She’s lyin
Tina POV “Jessie!” Tina has watched and waited for Jessie to return from Landry’s palace. After eavesdropping in on their conversation regarding Landry’s mysterious woman, she is determined to get more information as soon as possible. Jessie jumps as Tina calls her name, walking over to her once she recognizes her. “Hello, cousin,” she greets. Tina smirks. Jessie may have calmed down when Landry made his excuses, but the anger is still there. Tina can see it in her eyes. All Tina has to do is coax it back out. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages,” Tina says, leading Jessie to a sitting room off of the Entry Hall of Jessie’s palace. Jessie goes easily and Tina cheers in her head – perhaps this will be easier than she thought. “I have been busy, I apologize,” Jessie says, waving a maid over and ordering tea. “Tell me, how have you been?” “I have been good, thank you,” Tina says, giving Jessie her best innocent smile. “But I am not the
Tina’s POVJessie continues to sip on her tea, thinking thoughtfully about her brother and his lover. She had expressed her dislike of this she-wolf. It’s painfully obvious how bitter she is over Landry’s arrangements. Tina was displeased as well. This she-wolf was going to ruin everything for her. There was something off about her.She needed to somehow get close enough to this she-wolf so she can investigate for herself who she really is. Jessie sighs and sits her teacup down on the table.“I’m so tired,” Jessie breathes. “I hope you don’t mind if I call it a night and get some sleep now, cousin.”She begins to stand until Tina’s voice stops her.“Wait,” Tina says quickly. “You know what you need? A ball!”“I’m sorry?”“Your palace hasn’t had a ball in so long and we could use a little fun in our lives. Aren’t I right?” Tina says with a grin.“I suppose you might be right,” Jessie says as she thinks more about it. “It could be fun to get dressed up and dance around the ballroom. Eat
Landry’s POVJessie glances behind Landry at Bernice before looking back up at him. Her face is red once she realizes what she’s interrupting. Landry would be lying if he said isn’t a bit annoyed, but he doesn’t make it known to her. He stares down at the sparkling pink invitation that Jessie handed to him moments ago.You are invited to Princess Jessie’s Ball, located in her palace! “What’s the occasion?” Landry asks, looking back at his sister questionably.“No occasion,” she answers. “It’s just for fun. I figured we could use a little fun.”Landry finds it to be odd; nobody has a ball for no occasion around here. But Jessie has always thought outside the box, and she was always looking to stir things up. So, for Jessie, this isn’t so much as odd behavior, but inviting them to the ball is what’s questionable. Jessie and Bernice didn’t have a good conversation during their last exchange. Maybe this was her way of making things up to Bernice.“I hope to see you both there,” Jessie sa
Tina’s POV“What is it you were saying moments ago?” Tina asks the maid who was just speaking about the omega being the same as the female alpha. The other maid, the one she was talking to, has walked away to complete some other tasks Jessie has ordered of her.The maid looks surprised when Tina approaches. It was clear Tina was never supposed to hear that conversation.“Oh, I’m sorry, mistress. It was unfair of me to speak like that toward the Alpha King’s omega…” she bows her head in shame.“Never mind that,” Tina says, waving her hand in dismissal. “Just tell me what you were saying, maid. About the omega and the female alpha being the same. Are you sure of this?”She stays quiet for a moment as she tries to figure out what to say in response.“Well…” she begins hesitantly. “I’m almost certain. But not 100%. I just feel their resemblance is uncanny. Nobody has heard from the female alpha in some time and now this omega shows up with a similar face. I just find it odd is all.”That
Bernice’s POVI’m shocked that this maid figured out my secret. Remembering what happened with Jessie’s last maid and how she ended up being an assassin spy, I am wary of this maid. It must have shown on my face because she gave me a small and shy smile.“Your identity is safe with me,” she says, bowing her head. “But I would also like to help you escape.”“I’m afraid you’ve been mistaken. I’m not whom you think I am.”“I remember your face so vividly. You have the same face as the female alpha. You don’t need to hide it from me. I want to help you. I’m not the only one who wishes to help. If you let us, we can get you out of here.”My heart stops in my chest at her words as I narrow my eyes.“Who else wishes to help?”“The Alpha King’s cousin, Tina,” the maid says with wide eyes.Something isn’t adding up.“What else did Tina say, exactly?”…I brush the conversation with the maid out of my mind as she leaves for the evening. Landry came to retrieve me and bring me to Jessie’s palace